Episodes

School’s out for the summer (and so are we)! The hosts say “go in peace” and “see you in the fall” and things like that, but not before hearing a listener story about making a pit stop at Mass on the way to the ER (because #priorities). Have a great summer, lapsed friends! SPECIAL COLLECTION: Full Spectrum Community Outreach WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Share your stories, thoughts, and questions with us at lapsedpodcast@gmail.com or at www.lapsedpodcast.com or call us and leave a message at 505-...

The hosts try something new this episode as they each share a ***top secret*** (or maybe not-so-secret) interview with the other. Stephanie gets all the deets from real live Gen Z Catholic school girl Maeve. Anne interviews a fellow alum of her own Catholic high school, Katie Owens Mucahey, whose recent article about the potential for women deacons in the Catholic church was recently featured in America Magazine. The episode includes some bad ass nun stories as well as possibly the greatest ever...

The first rule of Kairos is that you don’t talk about Kairos….and today the hosts are rule breakers! Listen in as Anne recounts her experience with this widespread Catholic senior retreat program. References include Cindy Lauper and the Indigo Girls. NOTE: See below link for a (more or less) positive update on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence/Dodgers situation since we recorded! LINKS: Vatican withdraws World Youth Day 2023 stamp after criticism in Portugal UPDATED info on Sisters of Perpet...

Show up for some awesome queer Latine BookTok gossip, stick around for the excellent #catholicgrandma content. Curl up with your beverage of choice and listen in as literary enthusiast and TikTok-er Lupita Aquino spills the tea about skipping out on catechism classes for the thrills of the mall, the trials and tribulations of celebrating your birthday on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe (and sharing her name!), and what it means to sometimes feels like a Secret Catholic. WHERE TO FIND LUP...

Listen in as Steph and Anne catch up Catholicism in the News. Topics include limbo, the devil holding Jesus ransom, a song that cuts down on Purgatory time, the AI-generated papal puffer coat that launched a thousand tweets, diocese on the Moon, and Jesus’s DNA. Weirdly, this episode includes two references to the decidedly non-Catholic British Royal Family. Links: The Catholic Church can never admit that something it taught for centuries was dumb Ransom Theory of Salvation Singing This Song o...

Anne and Steph chat with Dani, (she/they) a writer, illustrator, Costa Rican, femme lesbian, and devout catholic and spends most of her time reminding everybody of those last two facts. Dani runs the blog and subsequent store “And Her Saints”, which seeks to illustrate the holy in an affirming and inclusive way. Topics include accidentally denying the virgin Mary as a child (omglol so sorry Our Lady!), surviving a hellish Catholic education experience, and finding queer Catholic community throug...

Beyond the green beer and corned beef, what is the actual deal with Saint Patrick? Grab a pint of Guinness and listen in as Anne and Steph learn the truth (maybe?) about shamrocks, banished snakes, and the true origins of corned beef of St. Paddy's Day. There’s also some deer-related pagan-esque magicky stuff which they totally did not expect. #themoreyouknow 🌈 🍀🦌 Links: Rabbi & 11-year-old son testify against anti-trans legislation Francis on his BS about “idiolotical colonization” and transgen...

As Transgender Day of Visibility approaches, we are honored to share our conversation with Nat Vikitsreth, a dot connector, norm agitator, and lover of liberation who supports social justice curious parents to practice social justice in their parenting while re-parenting their inner child. Nat works as a decolonized and licensed clinical psychotherapist, transgender rights community organizer, and child development specialist. She founded Come Back to Care to collaborate with parents who want to...

Anne quizzes Stephanie on Ash Wednesday facts. Spoiler alert: as far as Catholic stuff goes, this may be the most loosey goosey day of the liturgical year! The hosts also talk Catholic toxic masculinity (gross) and about how the Sisters of Mercy are actually kind of rad when it comes to social justice stuff. Sidebars include 80’s Ballroom drag culture and recreational squirrel feeding. LINKS Pope Francis’s Ash Wednesday Homily Catholic Bishop Shot and Killed in Los Angeles Home Lentformen.com ...

This week we bring you something a little different: a story Anne recently performed live at A Very Serious Gallery in Chicago. Listen in as Anne grapples with the question of whether you really can’t go home again. (Related: Are the Bill Swerski’s Superfans of early ‘90’s SNL fame Catholic? Discuss. Write in and tell us. Anne has thoughts.) Share your stories, thoughts, and questions with us at lapsedpodcast@gmail.com or at www.lapsedpodcast.com or call us and leave a message at 505-6-LAPSED. ...

Anne and Stephanie have the pleasure of sitting down with Abby Rampone of Left Catholic. Abby has lived at two Catholic Worker houses and the Women’s Interfaith Residency Program at Union Theological Seminary. She currently lives at the Fireplace Community, an intentional community on the south side of Chicago, and works as a Ministry Coordinator at DePaul University. Abby and Tess Gallagher Clancy are the co-creators of Left Catholic, a zine which draws on a variety of traditions to articulate ...

Many thanks to listeners who shared their stories! The hosts enjoy the heck out of your funny stories about growing up Catholic, from altar server mishaps to altercations with nuns to giggling and church. Additionally, Stephanie has some intel on a rather mysterious calendar of dreamboat priests, while Anne ponders Catholicism as she watches too much TV. This episode contains a Megan Markle reference. LINKS A history of Christmas in America Anti-abortion US priest Frank Pavone defrocked by Vati...

What’s the deal with nativity scenes? That’s what the hosts want to know. And, to some degree, they learn the answer. A young Steph leveraged her family’s nativity set as a chance at her directorial debut. Little Anne coveted her best friend’s family’s nativity set (there easy real hay!). The hosts learn about a rather shocking Catalan nativity tradition and how some Catholics are super smug about Protestants’ veneration of statues around the holidays. LINKS Jesus Was Probably Born in a Relativ...

We'll have a new episode ready for you in a couple weeks, but for now we’d love to invite you to share your stories! In the past we have asked you to share your experiences, and you have come through. From questions about navigating Catholic family to stories about how you chose your confirmation name, we are so appreciative of the ways you have contributed your voices to the podcast. While we’re certainly never afraid to shy away from the bleaker parts of Catholicism, this week’s call for stor...

The hosts learn about the Church’s beef with birth control. Anne shares some rather racy Catholicism in the News. Steph points out some colorful language used to describe contraception in the bible. There’s also a Steve Carrell reference, and really, who doesn’t love Steve Carrell? LINKS Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Being Weird The Pope Urges Priests and Nuns to Delete Porn from Their Phones RECOMMENDATIONS: Marcus Mumford’s Awkward Interaction with the Pope COLLECTION BASKET: https://nati...

Things get unexpectedly spooky as Stephanie and Anne talk murdered saints, postmortem popes, and the occult in this Halloween season-appropriate episode. Join the hosts as they dive into feast days, patrons, canonization, and martyrdom. Steph is still proud to be the only Chavara cousin who got $3 instead of $2 on her patron saint’s feast day. Little Anne dreamed of being one day canonized but never totally worked out the details. The hosts also get macabre as they talk ouija boards and preserve...

Stephanie and Anne take a deep dive into what Catholic school and CCD taught them about life after death. A young Steph imagined a cloudy heaven that was harp-filled and toga-forward. Anne realizes how the Wizard of Oz impacted her early view of the afterlife. The hosts also launch into their own lapsed Catholic version of #yesyesno as they struggle to make sense of a Catholic-adjacent tweet involving #depop, #coquettegirlies and #cleangirlaesthetic (#eldermillenialsareconfused). This episode al...

Steph and Anne are back with Season 2 of Lapsed! Steph discusses one rather big development in her life (hint: he’s adorable and shares a name with a very Jesuit saint). The hosts also catch up on several months of Catholic news, including Francis updates, newly Catholic celebrities (we’re looking at you, Shia LaBeouf), and Catholic references in the media (oh hey, A League of Their Own). This episode may or may not be peppered with some super cute baby noises. LINKS Pope Francis says he may “...